The official blog of center fielder Marlon Byrd

8/2 Trading deadline

I was traded late in 2005 from the only organization I knew to the Washington Nationals. The weird thing about getting traded is, you’re thinking, “It’s going to be great for me, a new start” and everything, but you never really know what you had until it’s gone. It seems like since I got traded, I was always trying to get back to Philly some way, some how.

For Theriot, it’s the first time he’s been through it. The Cubs will always be home for him. This is the organization he came up with. When you get drafted by an organization, you think you’re going to stay there your whole career. On the flip side, Ted Lilly has been through it. I’ve been on four teams, I think this is his sixth team. I don’t think it really fazes him. It’s the business aspect of the game.

It seems like the first time you get traded, you take it personally. You have to transfer all that energy into playing the game instead of trying to show your old team, “Hey, see what you’re missing.” That can be a positive or a negative. It was a negative for me when I went to Washington. I was trying to show the Phillies.

Everyone wishes Theriot good luck. Ted’s a vet, he’s been in this game a long time and he’ll go be Ted Lilly. We just want Ryan to go be Ryan Theriot and not try to prove anything to the Cubs, not try to prove anything to L.A. He’ll be fine.

– Marlon

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14 Comments

Hi Marlon!
I’m not gonna lie to you Marlon…I was wondering if you were ever gonna post another blog. I mean this poor season is crashing harder than a 650 lb. man when his bed collapses! Thanks for using this forum to wish The Riot well. For all his faults (base running, low OBP/inability to take a walk), that guy brings so much effort and energy every day and that’s why I bought his shirt when I was in Chicago a couple years ago. I mean, I didn’t buy the shirt off his back (I’m pretty sure I’m bigger than him anyway [actually I’m not, but it looks that way in TV]), but I bought a t-shirt mock jersey.
Well Marlon, we’re down to that time of year in church softball league where things are going to get serious. This coming weekend is the big tournament. I hope my body’s ready for it. I’m not a spring chicken anymore, Marlon. We played Trinity twice on Sunday and things were a little up and down. By “up” I mean we won the second game by a single run utilizing incredible defense and by “down” I mean we literally pissed all over the field. No, Marlon, not literally…I just like to make fun of people who say “literally” when what they’re saying is obviously figurative. It’s so funny. My manager said in our sales meeting yesterday that he “literally toasted my old list”. Did he really fold it up and put it in a toaster? I hope so. It’s okay though because his son is on the Cleveland Indians! But we did lose 19-4 and about 7 of those runs were earned. We also made base running errors and couldn’t hit, so we have some improvements to make. It’ll be good though because our tournament team is pretty solid. Imagine if you took the Royals and the Pirates and took the best players off both teams…that’s what it’s gonna be like when we combine both our teams for the tournament. I know, right? Scary.
Have I told you about my marshmallow? Man, I’ll bet not because your last post was so long ago! I was in this golf tournament for work and I got to the last hole and there was this lady sitting there with a 4 week old baby. She had been there all day long with this baby. Talk about commitment! She said that there was a contest for who could throw her baby the farthest…oh my gosh, Marlon…that’s a distasteful joke. She didn’t say that. She said there was a marhmallow long drive. She gave each of us an enormous jumbo humungo marshmallow and I went up there first. I laid the mallow on its side so it could get good barrel-like spin. I had to use three tees and I put two in front a little higher than the one in back…also to initiate spin. I swung as hard as I could and that thing turned into a frisbee. It spun, it contorted, it sizzled and it flew over the longest mallow by 20 feet! $100 gift card to Langdon Farms in my pocket! I also won closest to the pin for another $100. Talk about a great day. If you want to come play some golf in the off season with me and my brother-in-law Andy and my best friend Scott just let me know. We got you covered.
Hey Marlon, don’t let losing get you down. Assuming Jim Hendry makes the one key move necessary this off season (being fired), everything should be A ok!
Keithman

I must really say you have become the new “MR CUB” no disrespect to Ernie, however I am a month from 68, my dad, grandfather and now my son are avid Cub fans.
You have shown day after day the best baseball that can be played, your outfield play is nothing short of amazing, never giving up on any ball hit close to your way. I have really noticed the lack of emotion from other players now that the team has faltered so much, but your energy for the game is just short of unreal.
I am constantly amazed at your smile and love of the game, please don’t give it up, I still can’t figure what happened to this season, I really thought this might be the one, but when your clean up spots die so do you. Hope next season will give us something to cheer about other than you.

THANKS FOR YOUR WONDERFUL PLAY AND PLEASE KEEP IT UP. YOU ARE THE ONE BRIGHT SPOT ON THE TEAM

I am so disappointed with the cubs. Why do they always get rid of people they should keep and keep the people they should get rid of. Now I hear Pinella, ( Idiot of massive
proportions ) has plans to put Zambrano ( cry baby and as
useless as Boobs on a bull ) back into the starting rotation.
I do not understand why you would give away one of your best pitchers and your starting second baseman for
a player that was only a parttime player and you have several people sitting on your bench to fill the position. Hey
wake up Pinella, get your head out of your butt and play the players you should. Stop kissing Lee’s, Ramiraz and Soriano’ s butts and give some of the talented playeers on the bench a chance to play

Marlon, let me start by saying it’s been a pleasure watching you play CF for the Cubs this year. I wish your hustle and never give up attitude would rub off on a few of the other players. It seems to me when things go good, they go really good. When they go bad it just really looks like some of the players don’t care if they even play or not. Hopefully management will figure it out. I like Castro, Colvin, Soto, and the Cubs did get younger at 2b with DeWitt and did free up some money. Now just free up some room for LaHair and/or Snyder and they can learn by your example.

Marlon,
Your post to Lilly and Theriot was very classy. And why should we be surprised? You are a classy guy who gives 150% each and every time you are on the field. I am always amazed how you run out a home run when most other players just jog around the bases. You bring excitement to the game and to the Cubs and I hope you stay with us for a long, long time. I have been a Cubbies fan for almost 50 years, and you are one of the bright spots along with Ron Santo, Ryne Sandberg, Billy Williams and Ernie Banks. You belong mentioned in the same breath as those icons because of the way you play the game. I think ALL Cubbies fans feel the same–I have not heard one bad word about you. Keep it up, you set a fine example. Thanks for listening!
Larry (KahunaKub)

Hey Marlon-
I just wanted to say what an influence you are on this team. I mean, here we are, expected to contend with the cards, and we are in 5th place. However, I love how you never give up. No matter what the score, how many outs, what our standings are, you always play hard. Always hustle even on groundouts. Sprint around the bases after a homerun. What class. I wouldn’t care if you were batting .200. You bring a sense of energy to the team and play the game the right way.

Hey hey Marlon,
I live in Nebraska, have been a Cubs fan for about five years now, and i gotta say, you are one of a kind. Now that might not mean much coming from a twelve-year-old Cubby man, but I absolutely am a DIE-HARD Cubs fan. So many people try to put me down, they say the Cubs haven’t won a World Series Title in a hundred years, but I say, a Cubs fan is a Cubs fan. The Cubby Dream is alive and will never ever die. Hundreds and hundreds of people across the country love and adore the Cubs, as do I. I’ve been to Wrigley, and their is no other place on God’s green Earth like it.
Lilly and Theriot will be missed. So will Fontenot. And definitely D. Lee when he becomes a FA next year if we don’t sign him again. Lou will be missed, BIG TIME. Great manager. Couldn’t even think of a better one. Some of us have just not put enough spirit into this year. I believe you and a handful of others this year have tried and tried to win games. And stuff happens. People get traded. People get hurt. Look at how good Boston is doing even without Pedroia and the gang helping out because of the stinkin’ DL. My point is, to all of the true fans of the Chicago Cubs, is, DON’T STOP BELIEVING!!!!!!!

Hey hey Marlon,
I live in Nebraska, have been a Cubs fan for about five years now, and i gotta say, you are one of a kind. Now that might not mean much coming from a twelve-year-old Cubby man, but I absolutely am a DIE-HARD Cubs fan. So many people try to put me down, they say the Cubs haven’t won a World Series Title in a hundred years, but I say, a Cubs fan is a Cubs fan. The Cubby Dream is alive and will never ever die. Hundreds and hundreds of people across the country love and adore the Cubs, as do I. I’ve been to Wrigley, and their is no other place on God’s green Earth like it.
Lilly and Theriot will be missed. So will Fontenot. And definitely D. Lee when he becomes a FA next year if we don’t sign him again. Lou will be missed, BIG TIME. Great manager. Couldn’t even think of a better one. Some of us have just not put enough spirit into this year. I believe you and a handful of others this year have tried and tried to win games. And stuff happens. People get traded. People get hurt. Look at how good Boston is doing even without Pedroia and the gang helping out because of the stinkin’ DL. My point is, to all of the true fans of the Chicago Cubs, is, DON’T STOP BELIEVING!!!!!!!

Hey hey Marlon,
I live in Nebraska, have been a Cubs fan for about five years now, and i gotta say, you are one of a kind. Now that might not mean much coming from a twelve-year-old Cubby man, but I absolutely am a DIE-HARD Cubs fan. So many people try to put me down, they say the Cubs haven’t won a World Series Title in a hundred years, but I say, a Cubs fan is a Cubs fan. The Cubby Dream is alive and will never ever die. Hundreds and hundreds of people across the country love and adore the Cubs, as do I. I’ve been to Wrigley, and their is no other place on God’s green Earth like it.
Lilly and Theriot will be missed. So will Fontenot. And definitely D. Lee when he becomes a FA next year if we don’t sign him again. Lou will be missed, BIG TIME. Great manager. Couldn’t even think of a better one. Some of us have just not put enough spirit into this year. I believe you and a handful of others this year have tried and tried to win games. And stuff happens. People get traded. People get hurt. Look at how good Boston is doing even without Pedroia and the gang helping out because of the stinkin’ DL. My point is, to all of the true fans of the Chicago Cubs, is, DON’T STOP BELIEVING!!!!!!!

Hey hey Marlon,
I live in Nebraska, have been a Cubs fan for about five years now, and i gotta say, you are one of a kind. Now that might not mean much coming from a twelve-year-old Cubby man, but I absolutely am a DIE-HARD Cubs fan. So many people try to put me down, they say the Cubs haven’t won a World Series Title in a hundred years, but I say, a Cubs fan is a Cubs fan. The Cubby Dream is alive and will never ever die. Hundreds and hundreds of people across the country love and adore the Cubs, as do I. I’ve been to Wrigley, and their is no other place on God’s green Earth like it.
Lilly and Theriot will be missed. So will Fontenot. And definitely D. Lee when he becomes a FA next year if we don’t sign him again. Lou will be missed, BIG TIME. Great manager. Couldn’t even think of a better one. Some of us have just not put enough spirit into this year. I believe you and a handful of others this year have tried and tried to win games. And stuff happens. People get traded. People get hurt. Look at how good Boston is doing even without Pedroia and the gang helping out because of the stinkin’ DL. My point is, to all of the true fans of the Chicago Cubs, is, DON’T STOP BELIEVING!!!!!!!

Hey hey Marlon,
I live in Nebraska, have been a Cubs fan for about five years now, and i gotta say, you are one of a kind. Now that might not mean much coming from a twelve-year-old Cubby man, but I absolutely am a DIE-HARD Cubs fan. So many people try to put me down, they say the Cubs haven’t won a World Series Title in a hundred years, but I say, a Cubs fan is a Cubs fan. The Cubby Dream is alive and will never ever die. Hundreds and hundreds of people across the country love and adore the Cubs, as do I. I’ve been to Wrigley, and their is no other place on God’s green Earth like it.
Lilly and Theriot will be missed. So will Fontenot. And definitely D. Lee when he becomes a FA next year if we don’t sign him again. Lou will be missed, BIG TIME. Great manager. Couldn’t even think of a better one. Some of us have just not put enough spirit into this year. I believe you and a handful of others this year have tried and tried to win games. And stuff happens. People get traded. People get hurt. Look at how good Boston is doing even without Pedroia and the gang helping out because of the stinkin’ DL. My point is, to all of the true fans of the Chicago Cubs, is, DON’T STOP BELIEVING!!!!!!!

Mr Byrd I am a jays fan and have a blog I talk about everything jays, sometimes I ask people about jays players. If you would be so kind please go to http://bluejaysblog.myblogsite.com/ and make a comment about what it is like to play against them thanks a lot. ps if you like my blog please show it to you friends thanks

It takes me a while to accept a player as a Cub, but once I do, I root for them no matter where they go – I still root for Corey Patterson, if that tells you anything. I know it really bothered Mark DeRosa getting traded away before too, and it bothered many fans how he and other players have been moved as well. What makes it particularly sour is that Hendry likes to move good players for minor league prospects who never amount to anything – for example, the trades involving Corey Patterson, Todd Walker, Mark DeRosa, Ted Lilly, Ryan Theriot, Derrek Lee, Greg Maddux, Angel Pagan, Mike Fontenot, Rich Hill, Michael Wuertz, and Casey McGehee. Unfortunately our rich farm system is being sabotaged by moves which give away, repeatedly, good players for nothing; making fans like me wonder if Hendry even wants the Cubs to win. I don’t know if it’s his idea of dumping payroll or keeping the Cubs away from a World Series to use the lure of winning one for ticket sales but it frustrates you after enough years.

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